Exhibition of Jamaican Art Opens in Washington

One of the largest exhibitions of contemporary Jamaican art, showcasing 44 pieces by 15 artists of Jamaican heritage residing in the United States, is on display at the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, D.C.
Titled ‘New Possessions’, the exhibition, which opened on Thursday (Aug. 3) and will run until October 29, was mounted in celebration of Jamaica’s 44th year of independence. It highlights the country’s rich textured and varied cultural tradition and artistic talents over 44 years.
Education and Youth Minister, Maxine Henry-Wilson, who opened the exhibition open, said it “represents the diversity of the Jamaican personality” and was an indication that “Jamaicans can stand firmly in any metropolitan environment and be as good as the best”.
She noted that as the country marked more than four decades of Independence “we celebrate the strength and the contribution of those who have gone before us. As Jamaicans, we know that we have the capacity for excellence.”
The Education Minister stated that the exhibition, in some way, was a tribute to Jamaica’s cultural icon, Louise Bennett Coverley (Miss Lou), who passed away last week. She said Miss Lou, had, “paved the way in the unlocking of our cultural heritage and created an era in which Jamaicans recognized that they were somebody and there were many unique features that made you Jamaican.”
In his remarks, Jamaican Ambassador to the United States, Professor Gordon Shirley, said that “the exhibition provides a unique opportunity to assess the influence of globalization on the work of our contemporary artists working as they do in the United States, an environment shaped by the intersection of multiple and different cultures.”
He noted further that the exhibition created an opportunity for seminal dialogue on ways of enhancing the talent of the artists in the Diaspora for the country’s development.
In his message, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Jos